A jet trainer has crashed near RAF Valley on the island of Anglesey, North Wales Fire Service said today.

The pilot managed to eject as the Hawk trainer jet crashed near the perimeter fence of the RAF base, said a spokeswoman.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: "There has been an incident with an RAF jet during landing at RAF Valley.

"The pilot ejected. We do not know any further details at this stage. We are still awaiting further information."

Local resident David Gould told BBC Radio Wales: "I was in a lambing shed and there were two bangs. One was like a gas cylinder going off which might have been the pilot ejecting and then there was another big bang which must have been the plane dropping down.

"My friend said to me that that was not a normal bang and we walked out of the shed and could see all the flames and flumes of smoke.

"About three minutes later the emergency services were around.

"We are about a mile-and-a-half from it. It was very close to a property to the left-hand side of the crash."

A North Wales Police spokesman said that a Valley-based Hawk aircraft appeared to have crashed to the perimeter of the Isle of Anglesey airfield.

"The pilot ejected safely and was picked up and taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd, the hospital in Bangor, with back injuries," he added.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said there would be a formal investigation to determine the cause of the crash, although early reports suggested a bird-strike might have been responsible.